Using the Lyriq EV as inspiration, the designers have incorporated vertical LED light strips in the bumper and pencil-thin daytime running lights above them.Courtesy of manufacturer
Cadillac might be in the middle of its electric-vehicle transformation, but the Escalade SUV still defines the brand more than any other vehicle it sells. Its popularity with musicians, rappers and the Hollywood elite quickly immortalized it in pop culture. The first one, introduced in 1999, was little more than a re-badged GMC Yukon Denali, but its mix of real and faux wood interior and overstuffed leather seats were enough to win over an entire new generation of customers to the staid brand.
The 2025 Escalade will still share its bones with the Yukon, but it’s far more than a simple reskin. It’s morphed into its own thing, with the best luxury and technology General Motors has to offer. It’s also the benchmark in its class and gave rise to new competitors of living-room-like SUVs, such as the Infiniti QX80 and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. But staying in front isn’t easy and the Escalade’s mid-cycle update is telling because of how much the company has thrown at it.
Using the Lyriq EV as inspiration, the designers have incorporated a vertically oriented LED headlight array in the front bumper and pencil-thin daytime running lights above them. There are new paint options, new interior colour combinations and a new carbon-fibre package on the V-Series, which is the top trim. For the first time, you can also get giant 24-inch rims, which Cadillac says are the largest they’ve ever offered.
There’s even more inside with an all-new 55-inch curved screen that spans the entire dashboard and looks like it’s been lifted straight out of the upcoming electric Escalade IQ. Wisely, the company has chosen to spare Apple Carplay and Android Auto functionality, which it is getting rid of on its other vehicles in favour of its Google-based infotainment system.
The 55-inch screen, which stretches across the dash, and the lower 11-inch screen that Cadillac calls the 'command centre.'Courtesy of manufacturer
Below the giant screen, another 11-inch screen that Cadillac calls the “command centre” serves primarily as a dedicated place for the climate controls and a few other functions the driver might need quick access to.
One of those functions, power doors, is available on Platinum and V-Series trims. All four doors can power open and close. The driver’s door will open automatically as you approach with the key fob in your pocket and then close when you step on the brake pedal. It’s a high-end convenience we’ve only seen on Rolls-Royces and a few other expensive cars.
Rear-seat passengers can get massaging seats, dual wireless phone charging pads, personal screens and even tray tables that stow away for a business-class experience on the road.
While some competitors have opted for (slightly) more efficient turbocharged V6s, the Escalade continues with its familiar pushrod V8, which produces 420 horsepower. The V-Series gets a fire-breathing supercharged V8 that makes 682 horsepower and has a burly exhaust note straight from the ‘good ol’ days’.
Rear-seat passengers can get massaging seats, personal screens and tray tables that stow away.Courtesy of manufacturer
Even though they share a name, this new gas-powered Escalade is the polar opposite of the all-electric Escalade IQ that was revealed last August.
The IQ is based on the Ultium platform and will have a massive double-stacked 200-kilowatt-hour battery under the floor and 750 horsepower. For comparison, the slightly larger battery on the GMC Hummer EV weighs more than a Honda Civic. Cadillac says it can travel up to 724 kilometres on a full charge and tow up to 8,000 pounds. The IQ might be electric but it still follows in the Escalade’s footsteps of excessiveness with what is likely the largest battery in the industry and can’t exactly be considered an environmental play.
Does the IQ mark the end of the line for the gas-powered Escalade as we know it? Considering what an icon the Escalade is for the brand and how big of an refresh the gas-version got, the two may live alongside each other for the next while. The Escalade is still the sales leader of the segment more than doubling the sales of the Lincoln Navigator.
Production of the refreshed gas-powered Escalade begins in late 2024, around the same time as the IQ, with deliveries expected shortly after that.
Courtesy of manufacturer
Editor’s note: This version has been corrected to indicate that some of the wood on the interior of the original Escalade was real.
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